World Wise Schools is a program through Peace Corps where volunteers serving in various countries are connected with teachers in the States. We are either randomly selected for a teacher or we can choose. The Peace Corps volunteer shares info with the students about the country through letters and e-mails, and if appropriate, matches students to write to each other.
We were lucky enough to pair with our friend Jane, who teaches 7th grade math and science in Yakima. The Yakima students mostly come from Mexican American backgrounds, and many were born there or are first generation Americans. For almost all of them, English is a second language. She is lucky enough to teach a class called AVID which focuses on college preparation and writing.
We paired up with students from our village basic school, which serves grades 1-9. The students that wrote back were from grades 7-9, and were anywhere between the ages of 12 and 19, as repeating a grade several times is not uncommon in Zambia. All of the students who responded speak Lunda only in the homes, and get basic English instruction at school. The deputy headmaster hand-picked his best and brightest English students from the school. Most of the selected students were male, as many girls in the village don’t stay in school past 4th or 5th grade.
We highlighted just a few of the letters and responses, as we’ve had two batches from America so far and sent two batches from Zambia. It’s really fun seeing the similarities and differences of English learners writing to each other from halfway around the world. Just a few examples, with as little editing as possible:
Dear Zambian Student,
Hi! I’m 12 years old. I live in the State of Washington it’s in the Northwest corner of the United States. I live in a small town called Yakima in Washington. I’m in 7th grade. I’m 12 years old. My favorite subjects are science and language arts. My 3 favorite sports are Volleyball Soccer and Baseball. What are your favorite sports? My favorite foods are enchiladas. It’s a Mexican dish. They’re really good. I like them a lot. What’s your favorite food? My hobbies are spending time with my family, watching T.V., playing on the computer or getting on my facebook. What do you do on your spare time? I am really excited to hear back from you! I have a really big family that live here and in Mexico. How big is your family? My favorite show is the Simpsons, it’s a really funny and interesting show. I just love it. Well if you right back could you please write a section in your language. Please.
Dear Zambian Student,
Hi Zambian student. I am 12 years old and I go to middle school & I want to tell you about the people in the state of Washington is that how is your place in Zambia it it preaty far from here I will show you how I look I also need to know how to live in zambia as I have seen it looks cool I had a great time in zambia & I have a lot of questions have you ever seen a cheetah or a tiger have you ever seen a waterfall Because I have they are cool & I have seen your waterfall on a pic & it looks real Big I have lots of stuff here and I think it is fun I wish people don’t have to not have lots of stuff plus I hope you can give me a picture of yourself my life is ok here but sometimes I wish there was a lot of cool stuff happening & I wanna know how your life is I think going to the wildside would Be cool and I wanna know how old you are & how your life is and I hope you can write back to me.
Dear Zambian student,
I’m 11 years old. I go to middle school. I love going to school. I love math and I also like staying after school for Environmental Club. In Environmental Club we plant seeds to get flowers, vegetables, and fruit. I love shopping with my friends. I go to 7th grade and I have a sister who is 10 years old and goes to 5th grade. I also has a brother who is Ricardo and he is 10 months. Im planning to go to the fair this weekend. I love eating tamales. I love eating tomatoes. In my house I have a little garden and when I see a red tomato I eat it. When you respond please write a section in your language. If you can please send pictures also.
Dear American student,
I hope and trust That you are fine as for me I very fine I read your letter & your written English is Good I’m in Grade 9 my best subject is Geography, English and mathematicts dificont to me. I’m still learning but this term I’m not learning well because I don’t have maney to pay for school fees because my father is not rich he is poor person This is my problem if I have I don’t have maney to pay at school. My favorite food is ishima, mango and bread whi I like it so much I have two friends you and Benjamin Who I like so much. Wating to hea more from yours friend.
Dear American student,
I am a school pupil in Mwinilunga. Mainly I go to the farm on weekied. In our farm there is tomato and bananas. My favorite food are bananas and maize. I like friends at school and in our classroom. My favorite subject in our classroom is civic and I study it very much. And you can ask me any questions in civic book I can answered very well. I like playing football. In Sports I play number 2. I like my mother because my mother given me a big food. In our family we are 9 children. And I our family, I am the last born. And I am the remaing one who going to school. But to tell you the trueth my friend I come from a poor family. I am 15 years old. I want to ask you some questions. How are you in your family? And many Teachers are there at your school? How many subject are you doing in your class? How old are you? Here in Zambia we have a lot of Nation parks. I am very excited to write a letter back to your. I am patiently waiting to hear from you.
Dear American Student,
I like to do this. I have a lot of things that in my opinion, like playing in our culture. I like hunting, fishings and soccer. My kind of animals are cat, rabbits, cows, and dogs. And me also my family is really big because I have grandmother, grandfather and I have one sister but both mother and father are dead. Am a orphan. I like the flowers of guavas, mangos, and othe flowers that I don’t know. I like to go to school But am very hard working in class but I don’t have a supporters Sometime I planting vegetables to saling on the boma it is very far from our village to boma but am very clever. That I can find the money to spend to school. I want you my friend to help me to school to pay for me to school Oky my favorite subject in school I have do is am very calculating mathermatics and reanding English am doing Grade eight. And I haven’t you send me some camera phone to communicating wien you my friend. Thank you very much. God bless you friend.
Dear American Student,
My uniforms are white shirt and green necktie black shoe and green traws. We do not wear id badges. We wear a nicktie in green coulor. Me also I think it is very good to like mango. I like mango because at our house there is many tree of mangoes why do you like mangos? Our horiday was good. In Christmas I got a chicken from my father? Dancing is common and me I like dance during my birthday. Now I am in grade 8. My school is nearly I just walk it is about 50 meters long. My favorite subject is English. Do you have a phone? Do you run faster the me. I Run about 3 kilometre par hour. How taller are you. I am 1 and half metre taller. Do you like playing basketball? Do you like swimming. Want jobs do you enter if you finish school. In your opinion your think you will pass and go to grade 8 do you write examnation in grade 7. But we write exam in grade 7. I am 13 year old; I want to learn your language.
Dear Zambian student,
I’m 10 years old in 7th grade. It is pretty all right. Sure we have to wear uniforms but I can live with it. The people (friends, staff) are pretty cool, fun, and good people to be with. Do you guys have uniforms at your school? By the way are you boy or girl? What we have over here in America is pretty cool. With all of our technology, transportation, and food! Me personally, I like the XBOX 360. I’ts a video game console. The game I like to play is Call of Duty: BLACK ORB. It’s sort of a war game with shooting and killing other players online.
Dear Zambian Student,
I’m a boy I am 12 years old and in 7th grade I live in the state of Washington and I like football too but in our country we call it soccer im not that good but Im still practicing. Were I live were just coming out of the season of winter. Like you I do good in school and I enjoy going to it. To me my knowlage is important. I know a lot of things now and im glad to know what I know. Well nevermind that I yope you receive this.
Dear Zambian Student,
I read your letter and I thank you for answering my questions. I really liked your handwriting and you have one of the best handwritings I’ve seen compared to other letters. All though I also have more questions to ask you like, how is the weather there? How does your house look like? Are there any Americans there in Zambia? Those are my questions for now, do you have any questions? I would be happy to answer them, until then thank you.
. . . Stay tuned for more letters!
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